"I hear ya. I hear ya. I hear ya!" This was a line in my High School Children's theater play I did my junior year of high school. 11 years ago. It still rings in my ear to this day.
For the summer between my last job and my new YAV experience in New Orleans, I have been working at a chain restaurant. It is there that I want sometimes to just scream this out loud. As part of my job, when we hear someone tell us something, the call response is "Heard" so that the other person knows that you heard them.
A thought about the idea of hearing vs listening came up in my head the other day, so I decided to write my thoughts about the times I have heard something and the times that I listened.
I Heard:
-the birds chirping on the walk
-the car speeding on down the road
-the music on the radio
-a rumor about another person
-the news on the television
I listened:
-to someone's war story
-to someone talk about their rough childhood
-to someone's plan to take their own life
-to the voices that were screaming at the front of the protest line
-to the retelling of what happened in the bar that one night
You can probably fill in your own things in place of the ones that I just listed.
When was the last time you actually listened to something or someone?
Prayer Requests:
- A fun and productive week of learning during National Orientation (August 22-27)
-A Safe Journey from FL to NOLA (August 27-Aug 28)
- Space to find relaxation and renewal
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